2017 Ferrari F12tdf Goes Hardcore – 220-MPH GTO Brings Power Bumps + Double F12’s Aero Efficiency

What happens when you pour FXX learnings back into the Ferrari supercar stable? You get a bump of 40 ponies from the V12 in front, a slick new DCT with quicker shifts and a shorter final drive ratio, plus aero upgrades all around to suck the ultimate GT car down deeper into grippy tarmac.

The latest Ferrari special edition is a salute to the Tour de France, hence its name, the F12 TdF.

Offering a far more extreme road-going experience, the F12tdf is designed to bring track-ready thrills — but also road legality on the way there and back.

The aero tweaks for the F12tdf are clearly the most striking element of the visual makeover: an all-new nose with a deep chin spoiler and sill spats sets a racy tone right from the start. A new hood with unique vents and ducts makes the most of the floating front fender design, this time finished in contrast carbon-fiber versus body-color. Dramatic sill extensions are as functional as they are beautiful — slamming the stance of the lowered machine and highlighting its natural flared arches.

New slices in the rear three-quarter panel will let out any trapped hot air from the back wheels and transaxle — which are also breathing clean cold air via a new aero spat behind the side windows.

The tail works in a taller spoiler into its design — with that spoiler also going active to make the most of a new backlight design. The longer and slimmer back glass is carved-out with air channels in the sides — all in the name of max attack grip.

A new underbody combines with all this action up top to increase downforce by 30-percent versus the standard F12. Overall aerodynamic efficiency comes in at better than double the normal F12 when combining downforce traits with sleekness.

All this has a profound effect on performance. The 100-kph sprint is down to an official 2.9-seconds, with the 60-mph run likely in a scant 2.6-seconds. Overall top speed is not hurt by the 6-percent shorter gear ratios of the TdF — overall Vmax is promised at “at least” 212-mph!   On the right day, the TdF is pushing hard toward a 220-mph overall top end, very close to even the top LaFerrari.